Easy opening folder



y 1958 L. v. BROM 2.833, 461

EASY OPENING FOLDER Filed March 29, 1957 fnvnZ'Brjazz/fence KfiromUnited States Paten EASY OPENING FOLDER Lawrence V. Brom, Greensboro, N.C., assignor to Contamer Corporation of America, Chicago, Ill., :1corporation of Delaware Application March 29, 1957, Serial No. 649,552 1Claim. (Cl. 229-85) The present invention relates to easy openingfolders or envelopes and more particularly to folders or envelopes ofthis type designed to be delivered in fiat, unglued form to the user andwhich may be folded around the contents and thereafter secured in asimple and effective manner to keep the contents protected.

An object of the invention is to provide a folder or envelope of theclass described which is particularly designed for valuable and fragilemerchandise, such as fine hosiery, scarves, handkerchiefs and the like,whose individual pairs or pieces have very slight thickness whenpackaged, and which, after being secured around the merchandise, willretain it in clean and dust free condition, the folder having suchconstruction that it may be readily opened by the purchaser who also caninspect the closure of the package and be satisfied that it has notpreviously been opened.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, sturdy form ofpilfer-proof folder or envelope of inexpensive form which may quicklyand easily be filled and sealed to secure merchandise therein andmaintain it in safe, clean condition until ready to be opened, and theclosure parts of which while easy to open, due to the provision ofweakened tear lines, will not present edges that tend to snag or damagefragile fabric articles upon removal of such articles from the openingformed by releasing the closure.

Qther objects as well as the advantages and uses of the invention willbe appreciated and understood from the following description.

In the drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a plan view of the folder in closed condition;

Pig. 2 is a plan view of the folder showing the closure swung open togive access to the contents; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a preferred form .of blank from which thefolder may conveniently be formed.

The folder is preferably formed of relatively light weight foldingpaperboard which is suitably cut and creased or scored to provide aprincipal panel 5 having a supplemental panel 6 carried on one edge andhingedly related to the panel 5 along fold line 7. A closure memher orflaps 8 is hinged to the opposite edge of the panel 5 along fold line 7.

Attaching flaps 10, 10 are provided on the lateral edges of theprincipal panel 5 and are hinged thereon along fold lines 11, 11.

The folder may conveniently be closed by first swinging over thesupplemental panel 6 to lie fiat upon the principal panel 5. The closureflap 8 is next swung over to lie upon the outer free edge portion of thesupplemental panel. The attaching flaps 10 are next folded over to lieflat along the edge portions of panel 6 and are preferably held securelyin position by means of adhesive previously applied to flaps 10,indicated by the stippling in Figure 3.

For the purpose of facilitating opening of the folder to remove thecontents, the closure flaps 8 is preferably formed with tear-01fportions or tabs 14, 14, separated from the main body of the closure byweakened lines or lines of severance 15, 15 and 16, 16. The weakenedlines 15, 15 are preferably formed as small spaced cuts or perforationsand extend approximately parallel to the adjacent edges of the folder.Lines 16, 16 are preferably weaker than lines 15, 15 so as to be morereadily torn. These lines are formed with somewhat longer spaced cutsseparated by small connecting portions or nicks, and they extend fromlines 15, 15 at an angle toward the corners of the folder.

The ends of attaching flaps 10, 10 adjacent the tearoif portions 14, 14are preferably tapered to meet approximately the corners of the folderand to conform to the inclined edges of the tear-off portions. Theremaining edges of the attaching flaps are preferably parallel to theedges of the folder and these edges approximately conform to theweakened lines 15, 15 respectively when the attaching flaps are foldedover upon the tear-off portions.

The central part of the outer free end of the supplemental panel 6 ispreferably cut away to provide an inwardly curving edge 17 and providingextended por- These extended portions act as shields to underlie theweakened lines between the tear-ofi portions and main body of theclosure and prevent'the raw edges formed by the tear from contacting thecontents of the folder when the contents are being withdrawn. This is animportant feature when delicate fabrics, such as sheer hosiery, are tobe contained in the folder, as rough projections formed by tearing alongsuch weakened. lines might otherwise catch in the fabric and tear orpull. its threads.

In the use of the folder it may be shipped conveniently to the packer inflat blank form as illustrated in Fig. 3. The article to be packed, suchas hosiery, handkerchiefs, scarves, small articles of clothing or thelike, may be laid fiat on the principal panel. The supplemental panel isthen folded over the article. Next the closure is folded to lie on theouter face of the supplemental panel and lastly the attaching flaps 10,to which suitable adhesive has been applied, will be folded over andsecured to the tear-off portions 14 and to the edge areas of thesupplemental panel. The folder is thus made ready for shipment to theretailer. In the sealed condition of the folder, the weakened severanceor tear lines 15 extend along the inner edges of the flaps 10 and thetear lines 16 extend along the upper inclined edges of flaps 10, as willbe understood from what has been said and as shown in Figure 3.

If desired, the principal panel may be provided with a window opening,not shown, which can be,closed with a transparent sheet in a mannerwhich is well known. The prospective purchaser may examine the packagefrom the printed and other information given thereon and, by inspectingthe sealed side of the package, will be able to determine readilyWhether or not the package has previously been opened. The prospectivepurchaser can thus be assured of getting clean merchandise as originallyprepared by the manufacturer of the article in the package.

When the package is to be opened all that is necessary is for the userto grasp the free edge of the closure flap 8 and lift it. By so doing,the tear-off portions are released from the main body of the closure asthey will be adhered to the attaching flaps 10, 10. As the flap 8 islifted it is torn along the tear lines 15 and 16, the tear off cornertabs 14 being held in position by the flaps 10 and the edges of thelatter at the tear lines 15 and 16 providing guide means which, inconjunction with the anchorage of tabs 14, facilitates the tearingoperation and assures a clean tear without ragged edges such as in Q1might catch in and damage delicate fabrics as they are withdrawn fromthe folder. After the closure has been fully opened as shown in Fig. 2,the edge of the article contained in the folder will usually beprojecting slightly beyond the edge of the curved central part 17 of thesupplemental closure and may be easily grasped by the fingers and pulledfrom the folder. It is to be noted that the attaching flaps will remainin folded-over position and the tear-off portions will remain betweenthese flaps and the supplemental panel. However, the projecting cornerparts 13, 13 will remain between the tearoff portions and the articlecontained in the folder and will thus effectively shield the articlefrom the rough edgesof the tear-off portions during removal.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides asimple form of folder which is inexpensive "to manufacture and easy toutilize in packaging fragile articles. An article packed within thefolder is substantially protected from dust and moisture and will reachthe user in a clean and sanitary condition. Due to the arrangement ofthe supplemental panel, the closure and the tear-ofi? portions, anylikelihood that a fragile fabric will be snagged upon its removal isobviated.

While the present description sets forth a preferred embodiment of theinvention, various changes may be made in the construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desiredthat the present embodiment be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appendedclaim rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

A blank for a pilfer proof folder formed of sheet material such aspaperboard, said blank being cut and creased to provide a substantiallyrectangular principal panel, a substantially rectangular secondary panelattached along a fold line to the lower end of said principal panel andof approximately the same size as the latter, a relatively short closureflap attached along a fold line to the upper end of said principalpanel, and relatively narrow attaching flaps attached along fold linesto the sides of said principal panel, the upper ends of said flaps beinginclined upward and inward to the ends of the fold line of said flap,said closure flap having at the sides thereof tear-olf tabs defined byinclined weakened inner tear lines constituting extensions of theinclined upper ends of said attaching flaps and weakened outer tearlines extending from the outer edge of said closure flap andintersecting said inner tear lines, the outer side edges of saidtear-off tabs constituting extensions of the fold lines of saidattaching flaps, said inclined inner tear lines corresponding in lengthto the inclined ends of said attaching flaps and the width of the outerportions of said tear-off tabs beyond said inclined tear linescorresponding to the width of said attaching flaps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,044,935 Snider Nov. 19, 1912 1,459,414 Parks June 19, 1923 2,112,816Rulon Mar. 29, 1938

